Flushing valve for water closet tanks



March 1953 J. M. TEAHEN FLUSHING VALVE FOR WATER CLOSET TANKS Filed March 6, 1950 FIGZ.

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JAMES M.TEAHEN ATTORNEYS Patented Mar. 31, 1953 FLUSHING VALVE FOR WATER CLOSET TANKS James M. Teahen, Detroit, Mich., assignor of onefourth to James M. Teahen, Jr., Owosso, and one-fourth to Margaret E. Teahen, Detroit, Mich., and one-fourth to Mary E. Conrad,

? Wooster, Ohio Application March 6, 1950, Serial No. 147,801

2 Claims. 1

It is the object of the invention to obtain a construction of flushing valve which is applicable to various water closet tanks, and which can be easily adjust-ed to be operativein a particular situation. In the present state of the art, tanks for water closets are of various sizes, particularly as to height above the seat for the flushing valve. It is essential to proper operation of the flushing valve that it should be raised a predetermined distance from the seat such that its buoye ancy will hold it from being drawn back to the seat until thejgreater part of thewater has been discharged from the tank. The operating lever which lifts the valve. is mounted on the upper portion of the tank, and in many'constructions there'is a loose connection between thislever and valve which frequently gets out of order so that the valve fails to reseat. i

It is one of the objects of the invention to obtain aconstruction' which'will. avoid this defect. However, as the distance between the lever and seat varies in different tanks, the connection to the valve must be adjustable. It is equally important that this adjustment should be accomplished without change in the weight of the valve as this is quite accurately balanced with its buoyancy.

In view of the conditions as just described, my invention consists in a flushing valve construction which is accurately guided in its movement both away from and returning to its seat.

The invention further consists" in adjustment means whereby the valve can be very accurately located in its height above the seat when raised by the lever, and without any change in weight.

Still further the invention consists in a construction which when once adjusted will remain in operative condition as long as the apparatus is inuse.

As illustrated in the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a vertical central section through my improved construction of flushing valve showing the same in engagement with the seat in a water closet tank;

Fig. 2 is a horizontal section on line 22, Fig. 1; and

Figs. 3 and 4 are horizontal sections, respectively, on lines 33, and 4-4, Fig. 1.

A is a seat member mounted on the bottom B of a water closet tank, and which may be of any suitable construction with the exception of features hereinafter described. C is the flushing valve, which is a hollow member formed of rigid material, which will not change in shape during use. This hollow member is, however, provided v with an annular member D surrounding the same which is formed of flexible and resilient material and is adapted. to engage the seat A to form the water seal. More in detail, the member C is formed of a lower cup-shaped member 0' around which the member I) is placed and an upwardly extending tapering member C The members C! and C are secured to each other by providing the former with an upwardly extending externally threaded flange C engagin'g corresponding internal threads on the member 0 A shoulder C at the lower end of the flange C 'has a recess C therein and. the' member Dis provided with a flange D" engaging said shoulder and a downturned endportion D? for engaging the recess 0?. Thus the member D is securely attached and clamped in position by. the members C" and C2. The member D isof'a downwardly tapering form and its internal diameter is slightly greater than the external diameter 'ofthe member C so as to provide freedom for-seating. 1

To guide the member C in its movement away from andtowards the seat, aguiderod E is cen-I trally secured to a cross arm A of the seat member and extends upward centrally within the member C. Heretofore a central guide post has been used in connection with flushing valve constructions, but such post is formed of a round rod engaging a round aperture in the flushing valve so that the latter is freely revoluble. With my improved construction the engagement between the hollow valve member C and the rod or post E is such that the member C is held from rotation although it is freely movable vertically. This I preferably accomplish by forming the post E of a flat bar of oblong cross section which engages a corresponding aperture in the bottom of the cup member C. The post E is preferably mounted on the cross bar A by securing the same to the head F of a threaded rod member F, which latter passes through an eye in the memher A and is in engagement with a clamping bar G for securing the seat A to the bottom of the tank. A threaded portion D at the lower end of the post engages a correspondingly threaded socket in the head F. For attaching the member C to the lifting lever I, I have provided a member I-I having an eye portion H at its upper end for engaging the lever and a depending threaded rod portion I-I engaging a threaded aperture in the upper end of the member C2 and extending downward within the latter in a space therein above the post E. As shown in Figure 1, the member H is in its lowest position of adjustment but there is indicated in dotted lines a raised position and the range of adjustment is sufficient to adapt it to all variations in the positioning of the lifting lever with respect to the seat A. Thus when the valve is being installed, the workman can freely rotate the member H to adjust the position of the eye H with respect to the position of the valve lever so as to permit free seating tor the valve and the lifting of the same by the lever to a predetermined height above the seat. When properly adjusted the lever .I is engaged with the eye H which prevents any further turning of the member 1H while the engagement between the post E and the member C holds the latter against rotation. Consequently, there will be no change in adjustment as might accidentally occur if the valve were free to rotate.

With the construction as described there is nothing in the lifting mechanism for the flushing valve to get out of order, as the lifting force is always directed centrally of the valve and the guide post E will insure vertical movement of the valve .both when raised and when lowered. There is also noth ng to get out of order "in the construction of 'the'valve as this is made of rigid material, such as vulcanized rubber, and which is also non-reactive to any impurities that may be in the water of the tank. The flexible seatingportion D of the valve will have ;a 'relatively long life in which it remains operative, but if necessary it can be easily and quickly replaced by unscrewing the cap member from the member 0?.

WhatI claim as myinvention is:

1. A flushing valve comprising a hollow mem- 'ber formediof rigid material having a lower portion and an upward tapering extension, an-annular flexible seat engaging member surrounding and secured to said lower portion, aseat member for said valve, .a post rising centrally :from said seat member extending within said valve and the upward extension thereof and'having a non-rotative sliding engagement therewith, "a valve lifting lever, and means for connecting said valve with said lever provided with a threaded shank for engaging the upper end of said upward extension, said shank being stored within the hollow of said extension when in its lowermost position of adjustment but adapted to be raised by the rotation thereof, said connecting means having a non-r-otat'ive engagement with said lever which together with the non-rotative engage- .ment of the valve with said post prevents any accidental change in adjustment.

'2. A flushing valve comprising a hollow member formed of rigid material having a lower portion .andan upward tapering extension, an annu lar flexible seat engaging member surrounding and secured tosaid lower portion, a seat member for :said valve, a post rising centrally from said seat member extending within said valve and a ,portion of the upward extension thereof and being of an oblong cross section slidably engaging .a correspondingly shaped aperture in said lower seat engaging portion, a valve lifting lever, and a connection between said valve .and said lever having an eye portion at its upper end sleeved over the lever and a threaded shank portion engaging a correspondingly threaded portion at the upper end of said extension, said shank in its lowermost position being stored within the hollow of said extension above said post "and adapted to be raised .to different positions of adjustment by the rotation thereof, the nonrotative engagement of said lever with said eye portion and said post with said valve preventing any accidental change in adjustment.

JAMES M. f

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES 

